For the most part, NY Giants quarterback Daniel Jones looked pretty dang solid in the 20-15 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. He led the team on some great drives, but what killed him and the Giants was that they had to settle for five Greg Joseph field goals and didn't score a single touchdown.
What was most infuriating about Jones' performance, however, was that a major flaw in his game continues to be showcased. We're of course talking about his inability to throw the ball downfield, which was on full display vs. Dallas. In the first half, the Giants had a free play thanks to a Dallas penalty. If Jones would have put the ball where it needed to be, six points would have been put on the board. Instead, Jones underthrew Darius Slayton by a mile:
The #Giants left too many yards on the field in Week 4.
— Dan Schneier (@DanSchneierNFL) September 27, 2024
There is no ceiling if you can't maximize yards on these chances. #Giants100 pic.twitter.com/Y3qj4CkMm0
Daniel Jones missed too many opportunities vs. the Cowboys in the TNF loss
Where do we even begin with that clip above? Slayton blew past Trevon Diggs, leaving him in his dust. Jones had more than enough time to scan the field and let the ball rip. He did, but the only problem here is that he didn't even come close to putting enough juice on his throw.
Had Jones hit Slayton in stride, again, it would have been a touchdown for the Giants. Instead, Diggs was able to sprint back and post the interception. Granted, the INT was wiped off the board because of offsides being called before the play even got started, but this is simply a play that Jones has to make.
What's frustrating is you're seeing young quarterbacks like Jayden Daniels make this throw with no issues. It'd be one thing if Jones was facing a ton of pressure, but he wasn't rushed at all here. He could have taken another second if he wanted to get his body ready to let the pigskin fly.
Instead, his target was missed. We're not blaming the loss solely on Danny Dimes, but the fact of the matter is that the Giants need him to be able to make some magic happen if they want to record upset wins. The G-Men were in this game all the way and feel disappointed they couldn't come out on top. In the end, Dallas was able to come up in the clutch when it needed to, but the same can't be said for the Giants.